Conveyer for brick-yards



7 (No Model.) J. J MEYERS 3 Sheets-Sh eet 1.

Oonveyer for Brick Yards. o. 234,885.

Patented Nov. 30,1880.

Witnesses N FEIERS, Puomumoemnlm, WASHINGTON. n. c.

-(No Model.) J MEYERS BShets-Sheet 2. Oonveyer for Brick Yards.-

7 Patented Nov. 30,1880.

Witnesses (N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. J. MEYERs Conveyer for Brick Yards. No. 234,885. Patented Nov. '30, 1880.

Witnesses:

UNITED STATES JOHN J. MEYERS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CONVEYER FOR BRICK-YARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,885, dated November 30, 1880.

Application filed July 15, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. MEYERs, of Buffalo, in 'the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements on a Oonveyer for Brick- Yards; and I do hereby declare that the following description of my saidinvention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to conveyers for brick-yards and its object is to provide ready means for transporting the green bricks in their molds from the place where they are made to that where they are to be stacked for air-drying and from thence to the kiln.

In the drawings already mentioned, which serve to illustrate my said invention more fully, Figure 1 is an elevation of the conveyer. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the mold. Fig. 3 is a plan, and Figs. 4 and5 end views, of the same. Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of a brickyard, illustrating the application of my conveyer. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the cablecarrier. Fig. 8 is a sectional plan in line 00 as of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation in line 3 y of Fig. 7. Fig. 1.0 is a sectional elevation of the hook and its socket. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of a mold, showing the position of the hook at the time when the mold is not attached to the cable and the catch holding the same. Fig. 12 is an end view of said mold with the hook folded down, the figure being similar to Fig. 4. Fig. 13 is an end view of the mold, illustrating the construction of the links.

Like parts are designated by corresponding letters of reference in all the figures.

A in these drawings indicates a portion of abrick-yard. This yard I divide longitudinally, by preference, into sections or lots B, O, D, E, and F, according to the width of the plot of land to be operated upon, and place therein, at suitable intervals, piles G, and fix thereto at opposite sides planks H. These planks form a road-bed for standards J and I, as hereinafter more fully described, said roadbed being level with the grade of the brick- (No model.)

yard. Within the standards J J, which are those near the longitudinal border-line of the lot A, I pivot cable-pulleys K, and span over the same an endless cable or rope, L, which rope serves as a means of conveying molds M from the place where the bricks are being made to that where they are to be emptied. To support and guide this cable at suitable intervals I provide the standards I, of which there may be any necessary number, with guide-wheels N and with carrier-wheels O, the construction of said guide-wheels being such as to permit the hooks P, by which the molds are suspended from the cable L, to pass unobstructedly through between said guide-rollers and bearingrolle'rs. To attain this end I construct the standards I as follows: Upon a baseplate, a, Fig. 1, I provide a socket, I), into which I wedge a post, I. To this post I secure two brackets, Q Q, within which I journal four guiding-rollers, N, said rollers being provided with guard flanges N, to prevent the rope L from being pushed upward off the bearing-roller 0. The two rear guiderollers are placed far enough apart to admit between them a socket or journal, N, Fig. 8, for the carrying-roller 0, while the space between the rear and front pairs of rollers is sufticient to admit the rope L and also the hook P between them, the bearing-roller 0 being made comparatively narrow, so as not to obstruct the passage of said hook I.

I prefer to make the posts I of wood, so that they can stand some severe usage, and at the same time to make the standards I sufficiently light to enable their being readily moved about.

In operation the bricks, which may be made by machinery or in hand-molds, have to be stored in a dry place for a suitable time to allow them to air-dry, such storing-place being usually selected at some distance from the place where the bricks are being made; and in order to convey these bricks from one place to the other, which is the object of my present invention, they are placed in to a tray or crateusually the mold in which they are pressed. These molds are then hitched onto the cable or endless rope, and, the latter being moved at proper velocity by power applied to one of the cable-pulleys, thereby carried to the place where they are to be stored and dried. Here an attendant takes hold of the molds, lifts them from the cable, empties the molds, and again hitches them to the cable, to return the same to the place from which they came.

It will be observed that the endless rope or cable employed, passing over the pulleys K, afi'ords means for conveying the molds M in two directions, one of which is directly opposite the other, so that if the driving-pulley K is revolved in such a direction that the lower part of said rope travels away from it the upper part moves toward said pulley. ltis therefore obvious that if in this case the full molds, are hung onto the lower portion of said cable they are carried away from the place where they are made, (it being assumed that the driving-pulley is preferably in close proximity to that place, so that the operation of the cable is always in full control of the men making the bricks,) and that if the empty molds are hung to the upper portion of said cable they will be returned to the place from whence they came.

In emptying the molds they are usually turned upside down, the bricks being dumped into fine sand to prevent their adhering one to the other. This dumping, however, would be next to impossible were the hooks P rigidly fixed to said mold. I have therefore pivoted these hooks to the sides or ends of said molds and provided for mechanism for automatically folding said hooks down flat to the sides or ends into a position as shown in Fig. 4 and on a larger scale in Figs. 11 and 12.

This mechanism for withdrawing, or rather swinging, the hook out of the way consists, essentially, of a cylindrical casing, R, within which operates apiston, T, Fig. 5, actuated in one direction by a spiral spring, S.

Near the lower and upper edges of the end boards of the molds M, I provide eyes d d, and on the piston-rod 0, lform an eye, f. From the eye (I, I. pass a string or cord, X, Fig.4, through the eyef, thence through the eye 61, and fix the other end to the lower end of the hook P. This hook slides in a socket, U, pivoted to two links, V V, so that, assuming the position of the parts being that shown in Figs. 5 and 7 and the hooks disengaged from the cable, the spiral spring S, relaxing, will pull the hookP on the lower end toward the eye 01, and thereby place the parts into the position illustrated in Fig. 4, in which position they are entirely out of the way, and will therefore not interfere with the emptying of said molds or crates.

I have swiveled the socket U to two links, V V, so as to provide fora secure attachment of the hook to themold and at the same time to bring the point of attachment of said hook as high above the said molds as possible, to lower the center of gravity and thereby keep the molds in steadier equilibrium; but since no obstruction can be placed above the upper surface of said molds for the reason given, and for the further reason that such would interfere with the sweeping of said mold, I have provided the links V, or one of them, with a spiral spring, Y, which always pulls the links down whenever they are released.

In order to enable the links V V to fold down into the position shown in Figs. 4, l1, and 12, the holes o for the reception of the bolts w, Fig. 13, by means of which said links are pivoted to the end boards of the molds, should be somewhat larger than the diameter of said bolts, or they should be slightly elongated, so as to allow said links to move upon said bolts sufficiently to accomplish the desired result without binding the parts. Practically these parts are never so closely fitted but that the links would be enabled to assume the angular position without special precaution or provisions in that direction.

In securing the socket U to the meeting ends of the links V V, I prefer to place them, with the apertures a, Fig. 13, onto the pivot 10, Figs. 10 and 13, and then slightly upset or rivet the end of said pivot to prevent said links from disengaging said pivot. I

It is obvious that, the molds being roughly tumbled into sand, the spiral spring S needs protection to prevent its being clogged up with sand, and this protection is afforded by the casing B. When the molds are desired to be hitched onto the cable the hooks P are taken hold of and pulled out in the socket, thereby tensioning the spiral spring S, which spring, when the hook does not otherwise prevent it from doing so, always pulls said hook back into the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position the hook cannot readily be taken hold of to engage the mold with the cable after it has been dumped of its load; and to facilitate this operation I may provide the hook with a stop-lug,p, Figs. 11 and 12, which stoplug'rests upon the upper edge of the socket U, and thereby prevents the spring S from pulling the hook P through the socket; but since the links V V are pivoted to the boss u on the said socket, said boss forms a fulcrum for the rod or hook P, and as soon as the latter is disengaged from the cable the reaction of the spring S causes said hook to swing around its pivot to, and thereby to be thrown down upon the projecting part M, Fig. 11, of the sides of said mold, where said hook will not interfere with the dumping of the mold, and may afterward be readily taken hold of and hitched to the cable.

It is obvious that whatever has been said in regard to one hook has also reference to the other, there being two on each mold, and the mechanism for operating them exact dupli cates.

To pull the hook P entirely down said hook must be moved sidewise to allow the projection 2 to pass into and through the socket U, when the spring S, entirely relaxing, will readily pull said hook through the socket to attain the position shown in Fig. 12, and thus place the mold in a condition ready for fillin This.

catch mechanism, although not an indispensable adjunct to my mold, is nevertheless a desirable feature, since without it the mold cannot readily be dumped and then attached to the cable.

If it is desired to apply the hooks P without the catch-piece, it, as well as the cylinders R and other parts of-the mechanism described, maybe secured to the end boards of the mold, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 7; butif the catchpiece is to be employed the position of the cylinder R and its accessories should preferably be reversed and placed into the position shown in Figs. 11, 12, and 13.

It will now be readily observed that by means of the cable and its supports 1 am enabled to move the green bricks from one place to another, around corners and obstructions, if there be any, by placing the standards I in proper position and lengthening or shortening the cable as necessity requires.

To properly retain the standards I and J in position upon the track or road-bed, I pass bolts {1, Fig. 1, through the base-plates a and the gutters formed by the planks H, and provide them with washers h, bearing on the under side of said planks, so that when the nuts '5 are screwed up they will draw the standards tightly down upon the track or upper edge of said planks H. These gutters above mentioned have the advantage of leading away any surface water on the yard, and thereby keep the latter always in a perfectly dry and serviceable condition.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure to me by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The conveyer for brick-yards heretofore described, consisting, essentially, of the parallel tracks formed by the edgewise-set planks H and piles G, the adjustable standards I J, with the cable L and guiding and carrier rollers N O, and the molds M, having piy'oted hooks P, the whole being constructed for-operation substantially in the manner as and for the object specified.

2. In'conveyers for brick-yards, the molds M, having the pivoted hooks P, said hooks being provided with means, substantially as described, for folding down to the sides or ends, as specified.

3. In conveyers for brick-yards, the molds M, having the cylinders R, piston T, spring S, links V V, pivoted socket U, and hooks P, said hooks being connected with said piston by a cord or rope passing through eyes, sub stantially in the manner as and for the object specified.

4. In molds for brickyards, the hooks P, pivoted to the ends of said molds and actuated by a spring, said hooks having stops p, in the manner described, for the object stated.

5. The standards I, having the base-plate a, with socket I), post I, and two brackets, Q, provided with two sets of guide-rollers, N, having flanges N on their upper end, and with one carrying-roller, 0, between the sets of guide-rollers, substantially as and for the object stated.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. MEYERS.

Attest:

MICHAEL J. STARK, GEORGE J. S'rRAUB. 

